Straw rejects pardon for jailed Liverpool fan Michael Shields

The family of jailed Liverpool football fan Michael Shields reacted with fury today after Justice Secretary jack Straw turned down their son's appeal for a pardon.

Shields was jailed for 15 years in Bulgaria in 2005 for the attempted murder of a barman following Liverpool FC's European Cup victory in Turkey.

Despite another man confessing to the attack, Shields was locked up for 10 years.

In a provisional decision, Mr Straw was unable to conclude the
22-year-old was 'morally and technically innocent', a Ministry of
Justice spokesman said

Mr Shield's father, Michael senior, said that his son was 'distraught' at the decision.

Free man: Michael Shields, pictured in his jail cell in Bulgaria where he served some of his sentence, will be released today

Liverpool city councillor Joe Anderson, who has spearheaded the drive to free the Reds fan, said: 'We have only just heard and I am on my way to see Michael's parents to discuss it.

'We're still taking in the news.'

The Ministry of Justice said a High Court judgment in December last year set a 'very high' bar for granting what is known as a free pardon.

A spokesman said: 'Mr Straw has made his decision in accordance with the High Court judgment of 17 December 2008 which indicated that, in order to grant a free pardon, he would have to be satisfied that Mr Shields was morally and technically innocent.

'This is a very high test and the Justice Secretary has provisionally concluded that, on the evidence he currently has, that test is not met.

'The Justice Secretary recognises, of course, that many will be disappointed by his decision. But in exercising this quasi-judicial function he has adopted the approach that the Court expected him to adopt.'